gammeter



l. R. GAMMETER.

MOLD OPENER.

y APPLICATION FILED APR.22,1918.

1,309,128. Patbut-od July 8, HHS).

- 3 SHkETS-SHEET I. A

HVV; ITO/E,

w y fo/iz 6kg/amide?? 1. R. @AML/LETER.

MOLD OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22,1918.

"i .309, l 28' -Iateuted July 8, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A Troya/VE Y a J. H. GAMMETER.

MOLD OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22, I9I8.

l l 28 lzlengd July 8, 1919.

3 SHtETS-SHEET 3.

NEW YORK, N. Y.. A coRronarIoN'orN-Ew Yorin"- MOLD-OPENER f -le it known thatl, Jeux R. GAMAIETER,

Y. citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at useful Mold-Opener, of which the `following Aki-on, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio. have invented a certain new and is a speeification.-

This invention relates to means for opening' molde such asthe multiple-cavity molds employed in vulcaniziug rubber heels. andvv similar articles, and its' principal ob]ects are to effect a saving of time and labor and to enablethe finished articles to be lextracted bythe operation of opening the mold. A'.

' partly broken away.-

Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe moldopener, .partly in. section.`

Fig. 4 .'s aplan viewof one end thereof,

Figa-5 is a face view of. one otA the rack pl ates, partly broken away.

Fig. (5 is a4 partial perspective view showingr the vunder side ofone ot' the molds.

10, l0 are a pair of' vulcanizing presses of the hot-plate type, each comprising a base formed as a hydraulic cylinder 1l, a head- `12 connected therewith byAtie-rods 13 and forming the fixed platen, and a movable platen 14 carriedby the ram or plunger of tl ie liydi'aulic cylinder. "Suitable pipe connections 15,-16, 17 and valves ,18 are pro- `v ided for charging and .discharging the cylinders 11. Each press is provided with a fseries of hot-plates 19, 19 here shown as four-in number, giving three inold .com

able platen serving to crowd thestack of liartments, the upper and lower plates l'ieing!! carried respectively h v the fixed and movable plateiis 12, 14; the rise of the movhot-plates and `inolds together, and -its descent allowing the compartmentsl to open so that 'the molds may he inserted .and re v ginovcd.V The 'hot-plates' are provided.withl vspecification of Letters Patent.

.- 'Patenten July s, 191'9.

Application sied Aprii 22, 151s.. seriai No. 229,942.

When the press is' open, as represented in Figs. 1 and. 2, the intermediate hot-plates are supported at the desired heights by means of suitable pairs of stops 20, 2l and `22, 23 on said plates and 'on stationary frame-plates 24" respectively. In front of each press is mounted an elevator platform 25 carried by the rain 'of a hydraulic cylinder 26' provided kwith suppl and discharge'piping 27, 28, 29 and a controlling valve 30. This platform is .lo-ng,-

enough to cover the space in front of the mold stack and also to extend to o ne side.

to provide a supporting surface while dis, charging and refilling the opened molds.

The ends of the platform are. steaded by' vertical guide-rods 31.'

Each .of the presses -is preferably provided withan indicator -32 for timing theeures in the respective mold compartments; but this indicator forms no part of my present invention. i

The mold-opener 33 is mounted in front of Vthespa'ce between the two presses 10 upon a longitudinal -frame'34 which also supports the two elevators. zIt has three parfallel compartments,which, as shown, stalnd y at the levelsof the corresponding three cornpartinents'of the two presses, so that the several molds, supported at the proper heights hy the elevator 'platforms 25, can be slid horizontally from the ,inner ends. of said platforms in to the corresponding compartments ofthe inold-opener.

vHeel molds are commonly inade of a. middle apertured plate and separable to and bottom cover plates.in order to ,facilitate the filling and discharging of the mold cavities, but. this constructionv has the disadvantageof forming randsor fins zof excess 'rubber on both the upper and lower edges of the moldedarticles, the .removalof which constitutes an 'iteurofexpensen manufacture. l prefer peiiiia n eiitly to .imite the huddle and bottoinplates of the mold 5() so thatv only a single randis formed, namelyon the .u a ier' edge v .thereb decreasing. the n 7 n I trimming expense "and 'at lill@ SMH@ time fa? c ilitating the yremoyal of the finished articles` in acpordanee with the inode of operation of my improved mold opener.' Accordingly, the-middle mold platef, which is providedfivitli :the lusual aperturesI l forming -lOU the sides of the mold cavities 36, is 'per-` manently attached to the bottom mold. plate 37 by means of the bolts' 38 seen 1n F1g. 6, which screw into the solid parts of the mlddle plate 35, the'two together constituting' the mold body. 3 9 is the removable top. or cover plate of the mold, and 40, 40, are guide blocks on the ends of the cover-plate working in suitableguide-ways ontlie mold-body for properly registering the cover plate therewith. The middle plate is somewhat shorter from front to rear than ,the top and bottom plates, 'so that grooves 41 are formed in the front rand rear edges of 4the The mold opener includes front and back vertical frame plates 42 each formed with fixed rack jaws 43,- arrangedin three vertical and three horizontal 'rows as s een in Figs.' 1 and 4, there -being two vertical spaces or grooves-on each plate between these verticalfgows in'. which slide a pair I v of movablemackfor lifterA plates 45, each the cover plates 3 9 of the molds.

alternatingv vertical rowsgive an( arrange-- -`ment in 'which each llifter plate ls'lflanked :by two seriesof` fixed' jaws, or the middle 'having three flanges 46 for insertion under These series of iixed jaws is flanked by two lifter plates, thus balancing the pressures on vthe mold members.v The upper ends of the lifter 4plates are formed with slots '47 through which pass a pair of horizontal tierods 48 connecting the upper ends yof: the frame plates 42,-.and'said plates 45 are rei tained 1n place at their uplper ends by means ls'o press on the system of' overlapping cures,-

' minutesapart, the two molds'whose period..

of collars 49 pinned `to t e tie-rods. Vertical movement is imparted to the lifter plates 45 by means of a flexible, convex diaphragm 51 clamped to a bottom plate 52 v.by a'ring53, and bearing against a follower plate 54 whose front and rear edges are inserted between pairs of jaws 55 von thel lower ends of. the plates 45. Hydraulic piplng 56,

57, 58 and a controlling valve 59 are provided' for' charging anddischarging thediaphragmv chamber 60.

In the working of this' apparatusl there are supposed to be two operators (when two presses are employed), each operatingA his that ds, if the curing period -1s twelve minutes, for f example, the three individual molds will be placedin and removed from .the corresponding press compartments four -Y isincomplete remaining in the press when 'operator has 'fo'urfinolds to workwith.

the latterifs `momentarily opened for .the substitution of ,a fresh moldforthe fullycured one. Preferably also the two oper-. .ators will haye their press-opening periods -two'minutesapart Aso that theycan alter nate A in thev use .the mold '.o'pfn r.' .Each

sum'ing that zthe.'operatoreatgthegrightygtor example, is ready tol change and open a ,Y

mold, he elevates 'his platform 25 to the proper level by using the control valve 30, opens the press bymeansbf the control `valve 18, withdraws the finished mold and .i

immediately slides it into the compartment atthe same level inthe mold opener 33 while the diaphragm chamber 60 is in a discharged y condition, substitutes an uncured mold which he has prepared 'and placed on the extended end -`of the' platform, then closes the vulcanizing press, and operates .the opener 33 byadmissionA of hydraulic `pressure to said diaphragm chamber 60. In entering the-l mold opener, the projecting front and rearv edges or ianges of the bottom mold platev 37 will enter the spaces between thestationary rack jaws 43, 44 in two 'of the opposite horizontal rows of said Ajaws, the lower jaws 43 at first supporting the weight. of the mold and the upper -ones `44 thereafter holdingQthe mold body stationary while the cover plate is lifted off. Upon admitting hydraulic pressure to the diaphragm chamber, the lifter plates 45 will be elevated .as shown in Fig. 3, and .the

anges 46,011 said` plates, engaging under 1 the projecting front' and. rear edges or fianges of the cover plate 39, will lift said plate clear of the mold body. The finished heels 611 are shown adhering to the cover.

-To produce .this adhesion, the upper surfaces of the uncured heel blanks,cafter they are inserted inthe mold cavities 36, are preferably wiped with benzol or other suitable'rubber solvent to increase their taclriness, while the bottoms and sides of the mold 'cavities are treated with soapy water or other suitable lubricant in the usual manner before the blanks are inserted, in order to facilitate Athe withdrawal of the finished heels. The operator thenseparately withdrawsl the moldcover and body from the fmold opener, removes -the finished heels from the'cover plate, using the platform 25 as a support, prepares and re-charges the mold and is then ready to repeat the foregoing series of operations at another coxn- -partment of his press iand of the mold snigle vulcanizmg press-or to-use 'it in any '.other way for which -it' ino,

.'adapted,*and it .will be furtlrnnderstood into or out of that vvarious changes in construction may be made without departing from my invention. l.

AThe sticking of the finished heels to the under side of the cover plate as'thelatter is lifted -off is in considerable degree `due to the fact that saidplate4 remains parallel to 4the mold body during the lifting thereof, so that the heels move in straight lines perpen- A dicular-'to the dividing plane ofthe mold and do not tend to catch on the edges of the cavities. 'This method is in sharp contrast with the usual mode of opening rubber molds, which consists in prying up one edge progressive separation between the mold and the work, and while the improved'method requiiesfmore power` and is best performed in a machine of the character described, a considerable vsavingiii time and labor is thereby realized.

I claim:

1. In combination, amold-opener having relatively-movable, members for` engaging a mold body and cover respectively, to separate the two, and a flat, portable mold composed of separable parts and adapted to be moved as an individual unit into and out of operative relation to said members by sliding the mold in its own plane.

' 2. In combination, a portable mold adapt ed to be handled as an v,individual unit and comprising a. body and a removable covei' each having projecting members on opposite Sledges, and a mold-opener having complemental fixed and movable members positioned in operative relation to said edge mebers by-a sliding movement of the mold for separating the inold cover from the. body thereof.

3. A mold opener having fixed and mov- Aable members forming a series of parallel 4mold-receiving compartments, and means for actuating said movable members in all the compartments simultaneously to separate the body and eov'er of a mold in any of said compartment-s.

4. A mold opener having. fixed and .mov-

able members for engagingr respectively the` 'body and cover of. a niold to separate the two, one of said members of one kind being flanked by two of said members of the other extensions separated from the body Hangt-:s-

of the cover with a bai, so as to produce a by a ypair ofgrooves, and a i n'old ,.op'e'ner -havi ng opposite pairs of fixe( jaws to receive the body flanges,..and opposite lifter flanges relatively to the Afixed jaws to separate the mold cover from'the bodvtlieieof. f

17. A mold openerhavlng on opposite sides Aalplurality'of fiXedaiid lmovable members foi-Illing a 'plurality of horizontal mold conivpartments, the liiembei'sofonedtind on each Iside being arranged in a vertical row flanked by two vertical rows of members of tbe ,other hind, saidmemlmrs adapted to fengage. re-

both sides.

9. In combination, a' moldV comprising a body aiid a removablecover, a mold-opener having body-engaging and cover-engaging members on each of two opposite sides, said cover-engaging members being formed on a pair of vertically-niovablelifter plates, and fluid-pressure means for operating said lifter-'plates 10. In combimition, a mold-opener having fixed mold-body engaging members and vertically-movable mold-cover engaging ineinbers arranged in two sets on opposite sides .adapted to enter said gromes and movable f of the opener, a pair of lifter plates cari-ving in."

said mold-cover engaging members, a. fluidpressure chamber having av flexible diaphragm as its topnvall, alid a follower plate sui-mounting said diaphragm and connected with the lifter plates. l.

11. The .fcon'ibination of a vnlcanizing press having a vertical tier of mold compartments, a mold opener havinga vertical tier of mold compartments Aat corresponding levels, and an elevator platform adapted to be positioned at t-he different levels in moldtransferring relation to the. compartments of the press and mold-opener.

12. The combination of a pair of spaced vulcanizing presses having mold compartand a. mold opener alined with the space between the presses and having a tier of mold compartmentsat correslionding levels.

13, The combination of a pairof vulcanizing presses' having niold eon'ipartments arranged in 'fiers at the same levels, a mold opener located substantially between said presses and having a tier of. mold compartments located atl corresponding levels, and

-inents arranged in tiers at 'the saine levels,

`the mold-opener.

a p'air of elevator platforms adapted to be independently positioned" at "the dierent leve-ls 1n moldftralisterrmgg; relation to the compartments ot' the respective presses and 1l. ln -combii'latiom a and comprising a body formed with a moldin; r cavity havingr bot-tom and sides permanently related :rnd a rover separable from said body on a plane coinciding with one edge, ofthe article to be molded, and a mold' opener adapted to Abe operatively rela-ted with aml.separated from said' mold b v asliding movement of the latter in ith' own plane7 said opener having means for sepa- 'rating the mold cover from the body by a movement perpelnlicular t0 'the plane of the mold. j 15. The herein-described process of vulportable mold adapted to bts-handled as an nidivldual unit,

canizing andexi'traeting rubberv heelfrid similar articles which (.tnnprises'lubricating4 the pocket-- but not, the cover of a suitably; constructed mold, so that the, vulcani;"eelfnf tiele may be withdrawn from sai'idpoeket f to 'the tops ofthe blanks prior to vulcani7l`a= tion to canse their adhesion to the mold eover,l and after vulcanization separatingl said cover from the mold body in a, vertical path. 'i

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set 1n v hand this seventeenth day of April, 1918.

JOHN R. GAMMETER. 

